Emergency service dismisses Mtavari Arkhi TV channel allegations of ‘explosion of coronavirus cases’

The Emergency Management Service (EMS) of Georgia has dismissed the allegations of TV channel Mtavari Arkhi regarding the recent ‘explosion’  of the coronavirus cases among  firefighters throughout the country, and stated that only 173 of 3,000 firefighters have tested positive for the coronavirus throughout the country.

In its statement, the EMS reported that despite the coronavirus pandemic, all the units of the agency are working without interruption.

On November 29, Mtavari Arkhi reported that only two firefighting groups are able to continue operating in Tbilisi as the majority of the employees of the Emergency Management Service  have tested positive for COVID-19.

As of now, out of 3,000 firefighters only 173 have been tested positive for the virus throughout the country. All the patients are undergoing treatment, while the other employees who were in contact with them have been already placed in quarantine or self-isolation. They will undergo PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing for the coronavirus within 72 hours”, says the EMS.

The EMS also reports that firefighters are being provided with personal protective equipment, buildings are disinfected every weekend and if new cases of the infection appear, disinfection of buildings and firefighting vehicles are carried out immediately.

Prior to the release of the information regarding the EMS, Mtavari Arkhi did not contact the press office of the agency in order to verify the information”, reads the statement of the EMS.

In its statement the agency also notes that the agency has appropriate infrastructure to conduct 1,000 PCR tests daily on the basis of the Forensic-Criminalistics Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).